Several countries offer to help Ukraine return captives and exiled civilians
Source: Office of the Ukrainian President
At a Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula held in Montreal, participants issued a joint communiqué pledging to assist Ukraine in returning all prisoners and deported citizens. The conference members agreed to strengthen Ukraine’s collaboration with international partners and organizations to address humanitarian issues and uphold the Geneva Conventions.
The initiative will need to decide on what countries can act as ‘trusted intermediaries’ on the issue. The conference participant also proposed to set up some scheme that will provide consular services to Ukrainians temporarily residing in Russia.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly name the countries who reached out to Ukaine.
“I extend my gratitude to Qatar, the Vatican, and South Africa for their role as mediators in negotiating the return of children. I also thank Qatar and Lithuania for serving as transit countries in bringing these children home. Additionally, I appreciate the United Arab Emirates for continuing to mediate discussions on prisoner exchanges,” Joly stated.
The conference established a group of nations that will gather information on captives, including children, and verifying data to support Ukraine’s efforts.
The effort will also launch communication campaigns to raise awareness of Russia’s unlawful detention, mistreatment of Ukrainian civilians and POWs, and the deportation and forced relocation of children.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.